Summer time is always a special time of year at the Chunhui China Care Home… it’s when our volunteers arrive to dote on the medically fragile children.

This year, 30 China Care Club members and adoptees traveled to Beijing to meet and play with the children, learn more about our programs for orphaned children, do some sightseeing around Beijing, and write about their experiences:

Divya from Massachusetts:

“I did not expect to form such close relationships with the children. When we walked into the home, the children’s faces would light up and they would come running over to us. I could feel the happiness and affection they felt towards us. By the end of the trip, I had learned each child’s personality and what their favorite toys and activities were.”

Lilly from Texas:

“I just spent 10 days in Beijing with 12 amazing girls. This trip has meant so much to me as I got to meet and share the emotions of other Chinese adoptees. We laughed together, cried together, and most of all, had fun together. We learned each other’s stories and made memories along the way.”

Jerry from the WashU China Care Club:

“The very first time that we walked into the China Care Home (CCH), we grabbed the attention of a boy, who immediately clung onto one of the volunteers. That ended up being that boy’s last day at CCH, as he would leave for his home orphanage the next day where he would be adopted! We would see this pattern of leaving CCH repeated throughout the trip, as children became well enough to return to their home orphanages. The fact that we’d most likely never see or hear about any of these children again, especially after forming bonds with many of them after taking care of them for days, made seeing them leave and, after two weeks, leaving ourselves incredibly hard.

However, the children’s time at CCH meant that they had a much higher chance of being adopted after surgery once they went back to their respective home orphanages. It also meant that there was space for another child at CCH, a space that would give her/him a chance for a better future. And when we left CCH, other volunteers would also be able to help take care of the children and spread awareness about the orphan situation in China.

While ultimately we did not make a significant impact on these children’s lives—most of the children probably won’t remember us—I’m very glad I was able to bond with the children and have a small part in improving their chances for a better future.”

Alisan from Texas:

“I tried new foods, made new friends, and had the experience of a lifetime. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to return to the country where my life began almost 20 years ago.”

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s volunteer trips!